How to Brilliantly Rule Social Media Marketing—Part 1: Understanding Social Media
This article is part one of our three-part series on social media marketing:
Social Media Marketing Part 1: Understanding Social Media
Social Media Marketing Part 2: Aligning Social with Your Blog
Social Media Marketing Part 3: Social Strategies to Boost SEO
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With the power to humanize organizations, increase customer engagement and introduce brands to an entirely new audience, social media marketing can turn your brand’s humble abode into a brilliant, dazzling castle.
You’ll discover:
- Understanding Social Media
- What Makes a Good Social Post?
- The Most Popular Social Media Spaces
- The Value of a Content Calendar
- Public Relations in Social Media
- Tracking Results
Is Social Media Marketing Worth the Bother?
Social media marketing can feel like an overwhelming task. It requires a significant investment of time and effort, including continuous content creation and regular interaction with followers. Most businesses can’t keep pace with the ever-evolving algorithms and policies of various platforms, resulting in frustration and underwhelming results.
Additionally, there’s the pressure to stay on top of trends and the worry that negative feedback or less-than-stellar performance could impact their business reputation. And what if, after all the effort, no new clients are gained?
Understandably, these factors can create a sense of apprehension and hesitation toward fully engaging in social media marketing.
So, why bother?
Sure, social media marketing can become a complete headache—a box-ticking exercise that swallows hours and delivers nothing in return.
On the other hand, a social media marketing strategy can deliver direct access to a limitless network of referrals, sales leads and engagement data—boosting brand recognition and customer loyalty in the process.
Here’s our take on how social media marketing can actually build your brand, increase website traffic and boost sales.
In this series, we’re going to dig into the benefits of social media marketing. We’ll explore the most popular social media spaces so that you can think about which might be a fit for your business. We’ll consider what makes a good social post. And finally, we’ll explore how blogging, public relations and search engine optimization can be maximized in your social media program.
What is Social Media Marketing?
Social media marketing (SMM) is the use of social media platforms to engage with customers to build brands, increase sales, and drive website traffic.
The most effective social media marketing strategies utilize relevant platforms to build relationships and generate excitement around your business. Furthermore, these strategies help bring your products and services to those actively seeking them, as well as captivating those whose interest is sparked by your content and in online community discussions.
Unlike past one-way marketing, social media marketing opens a dialogue between your business and your audience, giving consumers a never-before-seen glimpse into the culture that drives your brand. On the other hand, social media audiences are scrutinizing businesses more visibly than ever before.
One key lesson learned since social media became a mainstream marketing channel in the 2010s is that having a solid social media marketing strategy is essential for achieving optimal results.
The Benefits of Social Media Marketing
Building Your Brand
Telling Your Brand Story
One distinct brand-building feature of social media marketing is the ability to tell your brand story, connecting with your target audience over shared passions and values. People do business with brands they trust and people they like, so sharing your voice is a first step to finding your people. Your business social media accounts enable you to speak out for the issues that you and your customers are passionate about—resonating with your customers and building deeper connections. In fact, people are assessing your brand’s credibility and the quality of your customer service before making a call or setting foot on your premises. Yes, social media builds brand trust.
Improving Customer Service
Improved customer service is another interesting brand-building opportunity provided by social media. On social media, customers can interact with your brand like never before. Because social media uniquely supports two-way conversations with audiences, customers can instantly reach out with compliments, questions or complaints. This feedback provides you with confirmation on what you’re doing well and where improvements may be warranted. Moreover, this feedback enables us to influence customer actions, turning curiosity into sales and disappointed customers into raving fans.
Informing Business Strategy
Another brand-building tool is social listening. Social listening is the process of monitoring online mentions and conversations about a brand, product, or competitors across various social media platforms and the wider web. The ability to monitor what customers are saying about services, products and competitors gives brands a relatively unbiased overview of their market and the factors that influence consumer behaviour. Ultimately, it can inspire marketing and organizational strategy.
A well-managed social channel builds your brand, telling your brand story and enabling improved customer service and business strategy. Together, these can attract new customers and build brand fans.
Increasing Sales Leads
Targeted Advertising
Social media provides a unique space to advertise to a target audience, thereby helping generate leads and sales. Advertising (e.g., ads, post boosting) on social media increases the number of people who see your social media content. This online visibility introduces your brand to entirely new prospects while keeping top of mind with your customers.
Convincing Social Proof
Another valuable sales-increasing benefit of social media is social proof. What is social proof? It is a psychological phenomenon and marketing principle that influences how consumers make decisions based on the actions and opinions of others. User-generated content, such as testimonials and reviews, and influencer marketing are compelling forms of social proof. How many times have you made a purchase decision after asking friends for referrals and checking reviews? Ya, it’s that powerful.
Online Visibility
Remember, social media platforms are search engines. They might not look like Google, but users are just as likely to discover your brand through a social media search as a web search.
Supporting the Sales Funnel
While social media marketing may not directly result in sales, every positive engagement will boost the likelihood of a deal further down the line by increasing your brand’s visibility and directing leads into the sales funnel that your website further supports. For many B2Bs and consultancies, the people who like and share your social media content are primarily your supporters rather than prospects. Some leads may engage with your content, but many quietly observe it, evaluating your brand. So, create high-value content without unnecessarily stressing over likes and shares numbers alone. (A conversion tracking program can reveal the impact social media is making on your lead generation and sales.)
Boosting Website Traffic
When deciding how a website ranks in search results, Google algorithms focus on metrics that indicate a great user experience. Original content, lots of traffic, and backlinks from other high-authority websites are all thought to be among the most significant indicators of quality.
Social share can also have an impact. For the moment, the number of native engagements on your social channels has no bearing on your overall SEO (search engine optimization) authority. However, the frequency with which your website’s blog posts and content are shared on social media might be a factor. If this measure of quality exists, and it seems likely that it does, then a high number of social shares could boost your website’s search ranking. We’ll discuss social SEO in more detail further on.
On the other hand, social media content can make its way directly into Google search results. For example, as of July 10, 2025, Instagram professional accounts can be in search results.
Therefore, creating strong social media content is key to increasing engagement that may boost your website’s rank in search engine results and even get your posts listed in them too. All great exposure!
The Takeaway
People don’t identify with impersonal businesses; they identify with people who share their values. Sharing your brand’s voice helps to encourage engagement and loyalty, and social media channels can be the perfect place to do it.
What Makes a Good Social Post?
From your logo to your website to how you interact with your customers, your brand already has an identity. This identity is a collection of features that instantly springs to mind when someone thinks of your brand. Your social posts are an extension of that identity. To create a powerful social strategy that delivers results, embrace the essence of brand identity and discover the magic of a truly great post.
Understanding Brand Voice
Every piece of written content has a tone. If you were to pick five lifestyle blogs at random, each would sound very different, even if the topics covered were identical. The difference between them is the style in which they are written. This tone reflects the personality of the writer, that person’s humour and, in many cases, their attitudes and prejudices. It is the mood of the writing, and it is influenced by choices in vocabulary, phrasing and grammar.
Your brand also speaks in a distinct tone, and it affects how your customers perceive your business. A disruptive tech startup, for example, might choose an informal voice. Casual phrasings, conversational grammar and slang words will emphasize how different, contemporary and unfettered this new venture is. If a more traditional business consultancy, for example, were to communicate in a similar style, customers would instantly question its competence and professionalism. This is why it is essential that your brand voice suits your brand.
Brand communications (e.g., social media content, websites, ads, emails) are an extension of brand identity. For many, they will be the first introduction to your business; for others, their most familiar component. You must ensure that your brand speaks clearly and consistently. For example, you can use a uniform tone of language and style of humour in each communication piece. Consistency helps build a recognizable brand that people can trust.
Can you succinctly define your brand voice? Is it expressed consistently across all your brand communications?
Creating for Engagement
Shape your social media content choices through your brand strategy, crafting a captivating space that fosters meaningful engagement and resonates deeply with your audience.
Spark joy, ignite inspiration, and foster connections! The heart of an engaging social media post lies in its ability to grab attention, deliver real value, and deepen your audience’s relationship with your brand.
Some of the most captivating posts include entertaining videos, eye-catching photos, compelling stories, and inspirational quotes. If your website offers helpful blog articles and tools, share them on social media to provide valuable resources to your audience. Authenticity shines brighter than ever, so embrace employee- and customer-generated content, testimonials, surveys and original videos and photos.
Be helpful! Create valuable content that truly benefits your audience. This approach fosters trust in your brand, ultimately driving more sales over time than aggressive ads and annoying self-promotion. Even in promotional content, be genuinely useful and help people solve real problems. When planning your content, strike the right balance between inspiration and promotion. As a general guideline, we recommend an 80:20 split, with 80% of your content focused on inspiring your audience and no more than 20% dedicated to promoting your products and services. This strategy not only keeps your social media presence vibrant and relatable but also aligns with your audience’s interests and values. By doing so, you’ll foster a deeper connection with your followers while effectively generating valuable sales leads.
Remember, social networks aren’t just platforms for connecting—they’re also powerful search engines! Each one has its unique way of handling content, so it’s important to use strategic keywords, hashtags and descriptions to optimize your posts. To make it even easier for users to discover your content, consider tagging your images with their locations. These steps help connect your brand to a larger audience.
What Not to Post
We’ve all seen posts that miss the mark—those that aim for humour but end up offending, oversharing that leaves us feeling confused or bored, or content riddled with mistakes. These are the types of posts that put your brand on the map for all of the wrong reasons.
To ensure your marketing content remains professional and in line with your brand’s identity, most brands should steer clear of negative or dramatic topics. This typically includes avoiding lewd or aggressive language and divisive subjects like politics. However, it’s also vital to stay true to your brand’s authenticity and target audience’s character, which means expressing in a style that may not resonate with everyone.
As a helpful guideline, if you’re feeling uncertain about a post—whether you hesitate, feel a strong urge to react impulsively, or doubt the factual accuracy of your content—take a moment to pause and reconsider before sharing.
Targeting Different Audiences
Timing is Everything
Like traditional marketing strategies, targeting a specific audience requires an understanding of where they are and what they’re looking for at the time.
Plan your social shares strategically, ensuring that your seasonal articles pop up right when your audience is craving that information. Keep an eye on key seasonal events, capitalize on traffic spikes from popular keywords, and address the burning questions your audience has throughout the year. Also, keep space for unscheduled posts to address relevant, breaking news.
What’s the best day and time to post to maximize engagement? That’s another factor that will vary between audiences and platforms. Social media platforms often provide recommendations based on audience activity patterns and platform-specific data for the best days and times to post content.
For example, business-oriented posts are likely to coincide with the working day. Generally, people are most active before 9 a.m., during the lunch hour from noon to 3 p.m. and after 6 p.m. Also important, people following business-oriented content are often looking to network, advance their careers or gain industry insights.
Personal-oriented posts often achieve the most engagement late in the week and during the weekends when people are actively socializing, making plans or looking for inspiration.
Observe patterns online or search online for the latest statistics. Experiment by scheduling your posts throughout the week across an assortment of days and times. Then, monitor the resultant engagement to get a feel for when your audience is most active on each platform. Armed with this knowledge, you can schedule future posts to coincide with these times.
Adapting to Different Channels
Sharing the same content on different channels can sometimes make sense, while other times it’s an ineffective strategy. Each social platform draws a unique audience with distinct preferences. To achieve maximum engagement and visibility, create tailored posts for each platform.
The Takeaway
The social media world is a dynamic landscape, constantly evolving with rapid changes in platforms and features. The most impactful content springs from a thoughtful strategy that captures attention, offers solutions, and resonates with the interests and values of the audience. This powerful approach not only enhances brand visibility but also builds unwavering credibility along the journey.
The Most Popular Social Media Spaces
In this fast-paced world, understanding how best to engage and communicate with your audience is the key to achieving success. And to do that, you need to know where to find them.
Understanding Key Social Spaces
Different social spaces (social media platforms) appeal to various audiences. Brands that achieve high engagement levels on Instagram might struggle to attract attention on X (formerly Twitter), while big hitters on YouTube could fall flat on Pinterest. To maximize engagement on any social media platform, you must first understand its users and their motivations.
Popularity and Audience
Facebook is the heavyweight of the social media world, boasting 2.8 billion monthly users1 from every corner of the globe, with 80% of Canadians checking in at least a few times each week. Membership is high in all adult age groups.2 Members of Facebook are highly active in comparison to other social media platforms and are more likely to share and repost content from others.2
Facebook is a full-blown communications tool with community-building tools such as groups, sharing updates through pages, and engaging through comments, reactions, live chat and messaging. Businesses can advertise to people in specific demographics.
On the search engine front, Facebook is a relatively trusted platform with global reach and ever-expanding social importance.
Best Content Approach
The key thing to remember about Facebook is that it is a very personal platform, a space where friends and family connect. While it’s not the ideal venue for a hard sell, your business Facebook account is a canvas for compelling campaigns and deeper connections.
Your business page offers essential information like business hours, reviews, and purchase options, transforming into a vital resource for customers. To truly engage your audience, infuse your profile and post content with informative and entertaining value, ensuring it resonates on a human level. Pair your posts with captivating visuals while keeping the text concise and warm. Videos shine on this platform, often capturing more engagement than images.11 Address the questions that matter to your audience and share relatable stories that evoke emotions. Additionally, tools like Stories, Marketplace, Watch, and Groups empower your audience to discover your content more easily. Embrace the opportunity to inspire and entertain!
Let every Facebook post serve a clear purpose, whether it’s connecting on shared values, inviting website engagement, or achieving other valuable goals.
Popularity and Audience
Mobile- and video-sharing network Instagram has grown in popularity, with 43% of Canadians active on the platform2—making it less popular than Facebook and LinkedIn but outgrowing X, Pinterest and LinkedIn.2 That said, 57% of users log in at least once a day.6 So, if this is where your target market hangs out, you have a good chance of catching its attention.
Instagram is most popular with 18-to-34-year-olds, with 70% of Canadian social media users in this age range signed up to the platform. If you are targeting those over 54 years old, then Instagram may not be the network to do it on; only a quarter of 45-to-54-year-olds in Canada have an Instagram account.2
Best Content Approach
Instagram is a favourite platform due to its visual appeal and entertainment value. Many leading influencers offer daily doses of comedy and inspiration.
To effectively engage your audience, share a variety of content, including photos, videos, and stories (which disappear after 24 hours). Consider diversifying your content types by including tutorials, behind-the-scenes glimpses, product demonstrations, polls, quizzes, and quick updates. Additionally, create shareable content by incorporating trending sounds, effects, and editing techniques.
Popularity and Audience
The only exclusively professional network, LinkedIn, is in a league of its own and has nearly 740 million global users. The site focuses on highlighting individual skills, attributes and knowledge. It is the leading platform where the people behind a brand are visible in their own right. Articles, networking and job postings are popular.
LinkedIn is the only major networking site where the 45-to-54-year-old demographic reigns supreme, with 44% of Canadian social media users in this category owning an account.2
Viewed very much as a professional tool, engagement on LinkedIn peaks Monday to Friday during business hours. In direct contrast to the more personal social networks, only 20% of Canadian LinkedIn users log in daily, with the majority (27%) accessing their accounts a few times a month.2
All of this makes LinkedIn a key platform for connecting those in the B2B sector with executives and decision-makers. That said, brands hoping to achieve a consistent level of engagement on this channel will have to publish content much more frequently than they might on Facebook or X.
Best Content Approach
LinkedIn is a professional platform, so all brand communications on this network should uphold that professionalism. For example, sharing a funny cat meme that may have performed well on Facebook could be considered inappropriate here. While LinkedIn is traditionally seen as a professional space, people are increasingly seeking authenticity and embracing personal vulnerability.
Promote your brand through a LinkedIn business profile while also maintaining an up-to-date personal profile. On LinkedIn, the people behind your brand are prominently featured. It’s essential for them to realize that any content they share reflects on your business.
A powerful LinkedIn strategy positions you as a true authority in your field. By representing your brand with confidence, you can host discussions, pose thought-provoking questions, and engage directly with industry leaders, all of which brilliantly showcase your knowledge and expertise.
YouTube
Popularity and Audience
YouTube’s popularity has continued to increase, taking the platform to over 2 billion global users. In Canada, YouTube is the top video-streaming website, and nearly 66% of Canadians over the age of 18 watch content on the platform at least once a week.2 In Canada, 18-to-34-year-olds form the largest group of users.2
Brand reliance on YouTube is on the rise, in part due to the ease with which YouTube-hosted videos can be embedded into other communications—including websites, emails and presentations. The platform also offers significant opportunities for engagement. It’s a powerful search engine for video content. In the U.S., YouTube reaches more 18-to-34-year-olds than any cable network.4
More than 70% of the total global users view videos via mobile devices, streaming them for an average of 41.9 minutes daily.5 Long-form content, tutorials, vlogs and ads are popular, with the “how-to” category of videos remaining one of the most popular across all demographics. So, if you’re looking for a channel to engage with your audience, showcase your expertise and establish your brand as a go-to, knowledgeable resource, YouTube is one of the best.
Popularity and Audience
Image- and video-sharing site Pinterest is a visual discovery and bookmarking platform. Brands use it to drive traffic to their websites by creating inspirational content around projects, events, and products.
While it doesn’t rival Instagram’s 1 billion active monthly users, Pinterest does boast an impressive 459 million global users.7 In Canada, most Pinterest members are pretty evenly spread between 18 to 64 years of age. Interestingly, it is one of the few social media platforms with a strong gender bias. It turns out that women are more likely to favour Pinterest than men.2 In fact, Pinterest is a favourite for women, second only to Facebook.2
Pinterest has enjoyed a boost in popularity, and the number of Canadian social media users who own an account has increased to 41%.2 In 2018, Pinterest announced it would be opening its first office in downtown Toronto due to its strong Canadian user base. They cited that Canadians save 4.5 million ideas on Pinterest each day.
For visually oriented brands (think design, construction and crafts), Pinterest offers interesting benefits over Instagram. The opportunity to connect directly with individuals is limited to comments, pins and follows, which means it’s not a forum for in-depth discussion and debate. It is the perfect spot, however, for sharing ideas, getting inspiration and motivating your followers. When it comes to positive engagements, building a following, establishing brand credibility and generating sales leads, Pinterest is the preferred platform for creative brands.
Best Content Approach
Pinterest is a creatively-driven platform from which most users are seeking either inspiration or solutions. Posting a variety of images that address both is critical for maximizing engagement.
The biggest rule on Pinterest? No stock images! Your content must be creative, top-quality and unique if you are going to make a great impression on this channel. If you don’t have anything original to share, use your expert insight to create helpful boards that address a need relevant to your audience.
X (formerly Twitter), Threads and Blueksy
Popularity and Audience
As of 2020, 42% of Canadians owned an X account.2 Compared to the 80% of Canadians who are Facebook users, it doesn’t look like a lot—but it makes this social network a contender for third most popular in the country (along with Instagram and Pinterest). The bulk of adult X members in Canada are aged 18 to 54.2
X began life as the microblogging platform known as Twitter, allowing users to share stories and insights in short messages. Now, it is a primary news source to its 335 million global monthly users, and a favourite space for tech folks. This short-form messaging provides news to 25% of U.S. adults.3 Interestingly, it provides first-hand accounts of disasters, attacks and accidents in real-time, often hours ahead of the press and official news cycle. X is also the number one platform for government leaders. In fact,189 governments and heads of state have an official presence on the platform. People add hashtags to categorize their posts, allowing followers to search for content that interests them and enabling all users to take part in live conversations.
Recently, X has seen an exodus, resulting in a decline in membership. People are leaving due to concerns over bias and content moderation, as well as a decline in content quality. Despite its recent challenges and resultant membership decline, X is still a dominant social media channel. However, Threads and Bluesky, similar social media channels, have been experiencing rapid growth since the 2024 U.S. election. Threads has reportedly more than 200 million monthly active users already.
Best Content Approach
X users are more receptive to direct sales approaches, as long as they provide value. Utilize this channel to share useful information. Include links for users to access additional resources, and use appropriate hashtags to connect your message with related discussions.
Remember, platform X moves at a fast pace, so your message has the potential to make a significant impact in a short time. Make your posts shine by asking thought-provoking questions, sharing compelling statistics, and offering unique insights. Incorporating striking visuals and infographics can elevate your message, drawing attention and fostering greater engagement, ultimately enhancing your brand’s presence.
Snapchat
Known for its ephemeral content, Snapchat boasts 397 million monthly users (and 238 million daily).9 Snapchat is one of the youngest-skewed platforms, and more than half (54%) of Canadian Snapchat users are aged between 18 and 34.2 A favourite social network among Millennials, Snapchat is becoming increasingly popular among people in older demographics, as well.
The advertising and brand development opportunities on Snapchat are limited only by your imagination. Capable of supporting multiple interactive features, Snapchat video ads give brands an unrivalled scope to get creative and interact with their audiences. Custom-made geolocation filters are fantastic for engaging with customers on your premises or at an event, so they’re great for showcasing your work and behind-the-scenes content.
TikTok
TikTok is the new kid in town, and it has taken off, especially with teens. Launched in 2018, TikTok has 800 million monthly users, surpassing LinkedIn, Snapchat, X and Pinterest.10 The 18-to-24 crowd makes up almost half (42%) of global users.10
While Snapchat’s many features revolutionized the way users create and share videos, TikTok takes it to a whole new level with green screen technology, viral challenges and stitches—where a user can reply, react or add to an original user’s content. The possibilities for customer engagement are endless.
Tumblr
Yahoo’s micro-blogging and sharing platform Tumblr has been around for nearly a decade and, as of January 2021, has 327 million active monthly users, again skewed toward the younger Millennial and Centennial audiences.8 The future of the platform is relatively uncertain. After a ban on “adult content,” Tumblr suffered a loss of 1/5 of all users. Tumblr continues to struggle on several fronts, but for the moment, at least, it’s a good spot for native advertising targeted at the under-35s.
A Word About Stories
Originally a Snapchat feature, Stories have taken off in the last year. Stories are short videos that disappear (almost) never to be heard from again. Every day, 500 million people look at Facebook and Instagram Stories. Even LinkedIn and X have gotten into the story game, with Pinterest already testing the waters in the U.S. So why are they so popular?
First, Stories disappear after 24 hours, so you can keep your main feed on brand as part of your social media marketing strategy while highlighting a product or customer engagement in a unique, short-lived way.
Second, if your business is looking for fun and distinct ways to engage with your audience through polls, quizzes, gifs, music, stickers and more, Stories is one of the best ways to get noticed.
The Takeaway
With so many social channels to choose from, picking the right networks to showcase your brand is not always easy. Remember, the social media marketing channels that work well for one brand might not necessarily be the best for yours.
Choose your platforms based on your target audience and their online behaviour. Don’t select a social platform simply because it is the most popular, the one you are familiar with, or the space your competitors use. Instead, take the time to understand what your brand has to offer and the social networks where that is most appealing.
Opening a social media account is easy, but maintaining it takes planning, skill and time. An inactive social profile will damage your brand reputation—so don’t take on more than you can manage.
The Value of a Content Calendar
With all these great ideas for great content, how can we streamline the creation and management process? Let’s look a little more closely at how your marketing agency combines social media strategy and content calendars.
Content calendars map out the what, when and where of your social media content. They schedule which content is placed in which social platform and at what time. They can be planned weeks or even months in advance.
These calendars encourage thinking about the big picture view of your marketing strategy, including brand values, products, services, target audiences, and the seasonal trends in your industry.
Understanding what your audience is searching for and when they are active makes it easier to deliver the right content to the right people at the right time.
Although planning content weeks or months ahead may seem overwhelming, using a social post calendar is one of the best ways to ensure maximum engagement and effective use of available insights.
If Mindspin is leading your marketing program, you already benefit from ongoing fresh website content—such as articles and videos—as well as strategic social media posts that support lead generation, promote blog content, and advertise campaigns. You also receive guidance for your in-house social media posts, such as updates on new hires, in-office charity events, and fun interactions with clients.
The Takeaway
Following a well-thought-out content calendar can make it much easier to create a buzz around your brand and increase visibility.
Public Relations in Social Media
In a world filled with opportunities for the public to connect with your brand, managing your reputation is both vital and rewarding. An established communications strategy, along with response and engagement management guidelines, empowers your business to consistently share the right message and inspire trust.
Brand Perception
Public relations (PR) encompasses a suite of activities designed to influence the public perception of a brand. Every interaction, from customer service to press coverage and social media engagement, holds the potential to influence how people view the brand.
Customers connect with brands just as they do with others; it’s through friendly, personable interactions that trust and loyalty are built. Social channels uniquely humanize brands, moving beyond detached corporate representation.
However, as social media grows, so do consumer expectations. Most online users now anticipate assistance within an hour. Resultantly, a delay in responding to engagements could lead to frustration within your online community. Naturally, frustrated customers are less likely to recommend you. Fortunately, practical tools exist for when immediate responses aren’t possible. Setting up an auto-reply on your Facebook Messenger, for example, can guide users on when to expect a response, while also offering helpful resources.
Reviews and Recommendations
Reviews and recommendations play a critical role in shaping brand perception. Once consumers become aware of a product, online reviews significantly influence their purchasing decisions.12 Facebook offers features that enable users to leave reviews on your page, while YouTube is an excellent platform for various product review videos. Additionally, there are many websites dedicated to product and service reviews.
Interestingly, product reviews are the leading factor in purchase decisions, with 88% of consumers citing them as most important—surpassing brand name (71%), social influencers (10%), and celebrity endorsements (5%). It’s noteworthy that over half of consumers read reviews on their mobile devices while they are in-store making a purchase.
Most people trust reviews from family and friends, and there’s also a strong trust in recommendations from strangers. Although some skepticism exists regarding the authenticity of online reviews, managing your brand’s reviews remains essential. It’s important to recognize that even a single tweet, post, or pin that recommends or critiques your services can significantly influence public perception of your brand.
Managing Engagements
With so much riding on your social strategy, having clear guidelines in place to help you manage engagements—both good and bad—makes shining bright much easier.
Keeping Your Replies ‘On-Tone’
Maintaining a consistent brand voice isn’t just about ensuring your posts are “on-tone” and an accurate reflection of your brand’s mission, values and audience. Your responses should embody your brand’s personality and reflect the style of your overall communications, creating a unified and inspiring presence.
Responding to Positive Comments
It’s always nice to get positive feedback, and it’s important to let people know you appreciate their input. Still, replying to every post isn’t always possible. If responding to every comment is not feasible, prioritize engagement with posts that ask questions or highlight areas for improvement. Acknowledge as many of the remaining posts as you can with a simple thanks, like or retweet.
An unusual approach can really set you apart from competitors and help to establish a positive perception of your brand. Send vouchers or even freebies to a few followers who post great pictures of your products. Support brand ambassadors by reposting their content, or ask a positive commentator for their thoughts on your up-and-coming product. People respond positively when brands take the time to engage with them directly.
Responding to Negative Comments
Negative comments can feel personal, but it’s wise to approach these situations with professionalism and a calm demeanour.
While customer complaints sometimes contain exaggerations, they often have an underlying truth that can provide valuable insights. These interactions can serve as a resource for identifying areas for improvement within your services or products. Embracing this feedback can ultimately lead to enhanced customer satisfaction and a better overall experience.
Respond, Ignore or Delete?
Not responding usually isn’t the best move.
Aim for a prompt reply, taking conversations private through messaging functions on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. After resolving an issue, share how you addressed it publicly to demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction. Don’t forget to follow up a few days later and check to ensure the customer is happy with your fix.
If the commenter does not respond privately, consider responding to the public comment explaining that you value their feedback and have attempted to resolve the issue via direct communication channels (e.g., social platform direct messaging, email or telephone).
Those intent on stirring conflict will typically respond when engaged publicly, often amplifying their grievances in an attempt to elicit a reaction. Don’t get drawn into futile, public arguments. Instead, reiterate politely once more that you invite direct communication to rectify the problem.
If they continue to respond publicly rather than privately, let the issue rest. If a user continues to be a problem and uses inappropriate language or offensive slurs, then you are well within your rights to block that person. Be aware—friends of the commenter may still be able to see their posts, but they will usually be hidden from new followers.
Developing a Response Template
When it comes to social media marketing, thorough preparation can be a significant advantage. Creating a response template is a valuable tool for anyone managing their brand’s social accounts. This template helps establish a consistent tone across all communications, which is essential for protecting and enhancing your brand’s reputation.
A response template consists of a curated list of suitable replies for frequently asked questions or challenging situations. It outlines the appropriate vocabulary, phrasing to use, and words to avoid, while also setting clear guidelines for engaging with customers effectively.
Having thoughtful responses ready is a best practice in public relations. However, it’s important to ensure that those managing social media accounts customize their replies to avoid sounding repetitive. When users notice frequent automated responses, it can lead to perceptions of insincerity and detachment from the brand. By personalizing interactions and occasionally adapting your responses, you can maintain a genuine connection with your audience while still being prepared.
The Takeaway
Whether you’re managing your social channels solo or with a team, a clear and concise communications plan empowers you to be ready for any challenge. It safeguards your brand’s reputation and enables you to deliver exceptional customer service.
Tracking Results
Lots of fun posts and likes don’t necessarily get you closer to your business growth goals.
To illustrate, you may have many likes on your social media post, but no resultant video views or phone calls. Alternatively, you may have very few social media post likes, but solid traffic through to your website with several Request for Quote form submissions.
Which channels work best for your brand? Which content actually brings people to your website or other content? Which of those submits a contact form or books a service? A digital marketing program tracks this data and enables optimization of your social media assets. If Mindspin is leading your social media marketing program, you already benefit from results tracking and reporting, and ongoing social media optimization.
The Takeaway
Tracking how social media impacts your marketing goals is a game-changer in understanding if your social media marketing is working.
This article is part one of our three-part series on social media marketing:
Social Media Marketing Part 1: Understanding Social Media
Social Media Marketing Part 2: Aligning Social with Your Blog
Social Media Marketing Part 3: Social Strategies to Boost SEO
Tanja Groos, Founder and Director, Mindspin® Studio Inc.
Tanja Groos is a Founder and Strategy Director with more than 25 years of experience in branding and digital marketing. She has a strong background in developing and implementing marketing strategies, gained from collaborating with leaders and managers in consultative and service-based industries. Her efforts have tripled sales, surpassed top industry competitors online, and enhanced brand credibility for her clients.
Tanja’s award-winning branding work and marketing insights have been featured in national showcases and publications like “The Hamilton Spectator” and “Identity Solutions.” She received the Entrepreneurial Recognition Award from the Government of Canada. Tanja is passionate about helping people connect with services that enhance their lives and guiding readers in achieving their business growth dreams by explaining how marketing gets them there.
Follow Tanja on LinkedIn
Footnotes
- Facebook. 2021. Facebook Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2020 Results. Press Release: 27 January 2021.
- Pollara. 2019. SOCIALscape 2019: Canada’s definitive measurement of social media and messaging usage patterns. Pollara.
- Pew Research Centre. 2020. News Use Across Social Media Platforms in 2020. PEW Research Center.
- YouTube. 2021. YouTube in numbers. YouTube.
- Hootsuite. 2021. 25 YouTube Statistics that May Surprise You: 2021 Edition. Hootsuite: YouTube.
- Hootsuite. 2021. 44 Instagram Stats That Matter to Marketers in 2021. Hootsuite: Instagram.
- Pinterest. 2021. Q4 financial highlights. Pinterest.
- Statista. 2021. Combined desktop and mobile visits to Tumblr.com from May 2019 to January 2021. Statista.
- Hootsuite. 2020. 21 Snapchat Stats That Matter to Social Media Marketers. Hootsuite: Snapchat.
- Hootsuite. 2020. 20 Important TikTok Stats Marketers Need to Know in 2020. Hootsuite: TikTok.
- Peters. 2019. Facebook Marketing in 2019: A Study Of 777 Million Facebook Posts. Buffer.
- Business Wire. 2019. Consumer Tech Survey Reveals Influence of Online Reviews and Video on Customer Purchasing Behavior. Business Wire.
